US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island ahead of midterms as Trump says deal ‘could happen’

The United States has attacked an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, the latest in a series of covert, limited strikes ahead of the US midterm elections, as President Donald Trump signalled progress in talks with Tehran.

Iran’s Qeshm Island was struck on Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, some of whom framed the strikes as defensive and aimed at deterring Tehran’s attacks on commercial ships in the critical chokepoint.

Iranian media reported that five blasts were heard in rapid succession across the island and two aircraft had been spotted.

Qeshm Island, the biggest island in the Gulf, sits at the mouth of the strategic waterway and is home to a large underground missile site as well as a naval base and a major desalination plant. In recent months, the US has launched waves of heavy strikes targeting the island and has discussed seizing it.

The US officials also told the WSJ that Washington had carried out smaller-scale strikes against Iran for several weeks, deliberately keeping them covert to avoid signalling an intent to resume major combat operations.

According to the report, the head of the US Central Command briefed Trump on the conflict last week as it prepared for broader strikes, moving additional missile defences and munitions into the region.

Tehran has not responded to the US confirmation of the attack. On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry said it was now Washington’s responsibility to advance negotiations.

“The ball is in America’s court,” said ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, repeating Iran’s demand for an end to the US naval blockade in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Also on Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remained committed to resolving tensions with Washington through dialogue, stressing that Iran would not surrender to “enemies” and that the conflict was not in anyone’s interest.

Despite repeatedly threatening post-midterm strikes on Iran, the US president has tempered his tone ahead of Tuesday’s vote.

“Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible. It could happen!” Trump wrote on social media on Monday.

He also appeared to downplay the prospect of a return to war with Iran.

“We had a war with Iran. We won,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I don’t know if you even call it a war because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months.”

The comments came after Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the next move in their war with Iran during a phone call on Saturday. Netanyahu has pressed Trump to strike Iran immediately after the midterms, while Trump, for now, prefers to let negotiations play out, according to Axios, citing sources familiar with the matter.

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